As if I didn't have enough to contend with...

Now that I'm on welfare, despite working 7 days a week (commission based for a bus company) 'Easy Bake' my daily driver was bashed and totalled. Of course the insurance company fell off the radar for the last two days, despite faxes of receipts, phone messages and unanswered emails, I think they're trying to make me sweat so to take their first offer.

'Black Betty' now seems to have burned a valve in No. 2.

With the help of a local shop I'm using one of thier bays to tear the cylinder head off. This is my first go on an AMC so I'm following the TSM meticulously. By now I've stripped the externals off; header, valve cover, rockers and pushrods keeping them in order with the help os a styrofoam box I poke the pushrods through and place the rockers on each one. I also got most of the head bolts with an impact wrench save for two stubborn ones that I'm goijng to try a breaker bar on. In a rushed bonehead moment~my best friend needed my help but the shop chief was staying late so I could work on my CJ, I forgot to remove the power steering pump bracket, sometime I can just FEEL those donkey ears spring up. At least my doing this work save me some cash on labor cost, I'm not looking forward to dealing with that oil baffle tray in the lifter valley again though.

Any tips or tricks would be welcome

More to come....

 

Yank the head, send it to a shop for refurbishment, put it together with a new head gasket. Follow the pattern given for torquing down the head. Torquing the head properly is very important - follow the instructions in the manual.

The shop will tear down the head and give you recommendations and a price. They will clean the parts and check for cracks. Usually the intake valves are ok, but don't be surprised if they recommend one or more new exhaust valves. They will recommend knurling the guides or new inserts. Knurling works fine, but does not last as long as new guides. Likely they'll recommend surface the head, which I think is a waste of money on an iron V8 head, as long as they measure flat with a long steel ruler and feeler guages. They may refuse to guarantee unless you take their whole recommended package.

Don't spend money on heroic crack repairs for a common head like an AMC 304 - if the head is cracked, find another, or exchange. If you exchange, they may give you little or nothing for a cracked core. The 304 uses a different head from the more common 360, so you may have a problem finding a head for sale outright if you don't have a good core.

Not a bad job, but typically you'd do both heads. A burnt exhaust valve usually results from an air leak in the exhaust, where oxygen leaks into the back side of the hot exhaust valve. Running very lean (hot) can also be a cause. Make sure your exhaust does not leak when you put it back together.

Last time I did a single V8 head was on my FE F-100 as an undergraduate. Turned out fine, but I was really really short of money.

 

Thanks timgr!

 

Got the head off and pulled the No. 2 intake, there was carbon built up on the stem and the surface of the valve is preventing a complete seal. Next stop, the machine shop.

 

From another thread on 'Black Betty';
So, saturday morning I get into the AFB that I pulled the night before. I noticed carbon was still built up in the air horn. Disassembly found two gaskets between the air horn and the throttle body. Carbon was throughout the carburator and the floats were misaligned and out of specification. All of this after "three rebuilds" of this $300 carburator rebuild.

Bringing these and other pics to the "experts'" shop I softly and diplomatically asked for a part or entire credit as evidenced by the shoddy work in the photos. He remarked "that double gasket was there when you gave it to me" (So why didn't he make it right during the process of the 'rebuild'?) And when showing him this photo he said that "my carb cleaner wouldn't remove that stuff" This was no kid I was dealing with.

What a f@cking moron!

It's been a little over a week and after initial cleaning I thought it best to Carb Dip just in case of any more crud. I rejetted back to .098 primaries and .095 secondaries and after priming the fuel line she started up and I ran her around the block and she ran fine. Got to clean the burned on crud in the air cleaner and maybe adjust the choke a little and I'll be set to move on to the next disaster.